Tips from an Avid Cruiser – How to Eat Healthy and Stay Fit While Cruising

April 3, 2017

One of the major perks of cruising is the majority of the amenities are all-inclusive. That means food for days! Everywhere you go on a cruise ship there is delicious food, and you can get food pretty much at any time. (Think the biggest apple pies on the high seas and late night nachos.) If you are trying to keep your healthy diet and exercise routine while cruising this can be a happy problem. So below are some tips on how to try to eat healthy and stay fit while on your cruise vacation. 🙂

Eating: The last cruise my husband and I went on was for 2 weeks so that meant there was a different food experience every night. (All of them delicious.) The one constant though was the majority of the food was carbs and sweets. Fries, bread, pasta, rice, and multiple dessert bars out number the salad and fruit bar. So try to eat in moderation, substitute one carb per meal for salad or fruit, limit desserts or choose better options, drink lots of water, and take a probiotic.While cruising you will need to practice making good food choices. (I know it’s hard, but worth it when you get back home and haven’t gained weight.) Oh, and watch out for all of those calories lurking in your adult beverages. 😉

Exercise: The companion of eating healthy/making good food choices while cruising is exercising. Cruise ships offer a great variety of options for those to continue their workout routine while on the high seas. The easiest things you can do is to take the stairs as much as possible. Elevators can fill up quickly so taking the stairs most of the time will help you get where you are going faster. Use the running deck. Most cruise ships have a running deck and you will be able to take in the beautiful scenery while getting your run in. In the past some cruises also offered 5k’s to help save the waves, but if your cruise doesn’t then you could organize a running group while on the cruise. (Make sure to bring your activity tracker to track your steps while cruising. You might be surprised how many you actually get in during the day.) Visit the ships gym and take a work out class to get your work out in. Cruise ships have great gyms with workout classes available. Some of the classes are free, but a few you may have to pay for. Another great way to get some exercise in is my daughters favorite. Dancing! So don’t be shy, take a dance class or two if offered and dance the night away.

Off ship get your exercise in by taking excursions that are more physically demanding. Excursions that require hiking, a lot of walking, or kayaking are great ways to keep in motion when off ship.

My biggest tip is to just keep moving. 🙂 Your diet and workout goals don’t need to be put on hold just because you are on vacation. Bon Appetite!